Related topics: genes · gene expression

Study hints at why parrots are great vocal imitators

An international team of scientists led by Duke University researchers has uncovered key structural differences in the brains of parrots that may explain the birds' unparalleled ability to imitate sounds and human speech.

How did evolution optimize circadian clocks?

(Phys.org) —From cyanobacteria to humans, many terrestrial species have acquired circadian rhythms that adapt to sunlight in order to increase survival rates. Studies have shown that the circadian clocks in some organisms ...

A new energy source within the cells

All our cells require the small molecule, ATP, generated in the mitochondria to cover the energy required for cell metabolism, dynamics and growth. To a lower extent and particularly in cancer cells, ATP can also be generated ...

Phosphate shortage: The dwindling resource required to grow food

By 2030, the world's population is projected to be about 8.5 billion people. Global food security is a major concern for governments—zero hunger is the second most important of the United Nations Sustainable Development ...

Which came first the head or the brain?

(Phys.org) —A fundamental question in the evolution of animal body plans, is where did the head come from? In animals with a clear axis of right-left symmetry, the bilaterians, the head is where the brain is, at the anterior ...

Study: How placentas evolved in mammals

The fossil record tells us about ancient life through the preserved remains of body parts like bones, teeth and turtle shells. But how to study the history of soft tissues and organs, which can decay quickly, leaving little ...

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